Tsuyomi
by AnneLea
Summary: A rough first year of marriage, and someone doesn't take well to Hinata being pregnant on top of being married to Naruto durring that time. To protect the baby, Sakura must take it for herself even before it is even born. Death. Lemon. NaruHina.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto's characters and places are all copyright to M. Kishimoto, not me. Tsuyomi, Yashu, and a few others are my OCs, if you want to base your own characters off of them, be my guest, I tried hard to make these people individuals in my mind, and if it's hard for you to do the same and think you want one of them yourself, I don't mind. After all, we're all doing that to Kishimoto by writing Naruto fanfics in the first place, aren't we?

Also, I think I have come up with a suitable way around my line breakage problem. Let's see if it works or not, shall we?

This is a one-shot side story of Long Return depicting what happened to Hinata and how Tsuyomi got into the world despite her death. Because of the length, I'm breaking it up into parts with no real chapter plotting in mind. Where it breaks is where it breaks and you'll just have to wait for the rest. Shouldn't take too long.

Can be read as a stand alone, but is really meant as a back up to draw from for the whole Tsuyomi thing as well as Naruto's relationships with Yashu and the Hyuuga Clan within the story "Long Return."

Spoilers for Naruto Shippuden chapter No. 437. If you haven't read that, then you might not want to read this, unless you're masochistic like that. Everything past that chapter is completely speculation and most likely AU by the time we get to see the next chapter. Also, I'm using pure speculation based off of fan art from Deviant art about two things. One, Tsunade being Tenzou's mother (even Zetsu's). Two, Hinata's (or any Hyuuga's) ability to force her own chakra into Minato's (Yondaime's) seal on Naruto to bring the Kyuubi back under submission. Art includes "The Remedy" by Samurai_PET and "Senju Clan: Related? - SPOILER" by DracoAries both on .

Warnings: Character death (but you already knew that, didn't you?), LEMON, rebound sex, and not fully thought out med-nin procedures on how to rescue a dying fetus. Also, do realise that some time passes from the beginning of this to when the lemon happens. By that time, they will be 19/20 years old or so, completely legal in any country I've ever heard the legal age for consent of.

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Naruto felt nothing but searing anger, pure dispair fueling the fire. The Kyuubi heard the call and took over as far as he could press against the accursed seal that, for whatever reason, was still strong enough to keep him back at least partially. One of his container's precious people lay between him and his attacker, more than likely dead from the single blow that would knock out even the strongest of humans he'd come across.

Naruto, unable to process everything that had just been told to him, allowed the seal to weaken that much more, granting the fox the power of two more tails... six in total now. He couldn't feel it anyway, trapped as he was in that secret world within himself where he could speak with the Nine Tails at certain times. Right now, though, he just dropped to the watery floor and curled up in confusion, anger, and sadness.

Someone loved him... Hinata, precious, sweet, slowly showing herself that she really was strong.... She was the first person he could ever remember telling him that they loved him. This was the second time she'd come to his rescue, but--unlike last time--all three in the fight knew she was no match for the aggressor. Still, she stood her ground, even charged Pein a second time, nearly landed the blow, but was thrown back so easily...

She was the only person of Konoha's still living to come to his aid once he himself was trapped. She was the only one brave enough, even braver than Sakura and Tsunade. She was the only one who felt so deeply for him, and she was knocked back for that love. He wasn't able to stop her with words, and with doing everything to keep the Kyuubi back he wasn't able to break Pein's hold over his body to physically stop her.

Rage simmered in him now, uncurling his body and standing him up to walk past the cage bars and allow the demon within to envelope him with it's power and will. He _would_ defeat Pein one way or another. Even though the Kyuubi couldn't detect the life within the woman between them and Pein, he could, and h would not allow it to slip even farther away. Naruto gave the demon one order. Kill Pein at all costs as long as Hinata remained alive.

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"Tenzou, _STOP HIM!_"

Tenzou's head snapped to his left where several people followed the Hokage as they ran towards him, Tsunade ordering him on the run past.

He knew exactly what she felt. Who couldn't feel it?

"Leave me, Ten," Iruka told him from his place still curled around the newly freed body between them. "I can't do anything to help. They need you now."

"I'll be back," Tenzou set a hand on the other man's shoulder, giving a light squeeze before sprinting after the others towards Naruto's location. He never heard Iruka's pained retort about not making promises like that in times like these as the smaller man pushed a lock of silver hair from Kakashi's brow with a shaky hand.

He only heard the thudding of hasty feet that didn't mind being heard this time, the pounding of his own heart, harsh breathing, and the unholy roar ahead. All he saw was the skeleton, the bloody chakra, and the six tails that made him wonder if it was possible for his strength alone to pull Naruto back from the brink once more. Was it even wise to try considering the effort would leave Naruto down and all for the pickings of the Akatsuki man? He didn't know, but his Hokage... his MOTHER was telling him to do the one thing none of the others could attempt.

Help Naruto by weakening him before everyone else ended up dead. That was the order, at least how he chose to take it.

By the time he got there, Pein was knocked flat on his back twice and currently being held up by his hair to a rock face several feet off the ground. Sakura was at Hinata's side, proving that the Hyuuga heiress was still alive. Most of the others that had been running with the Hokage continued on, skirting around the battle and continuing on beyond what was once Konoha's boarders. Tenzou ignored it all the moment he saw it and shoved Tsunade out of the way before she got too close. Yes, he would be reprimanded later if they were both still alive for the punishment to take place, but that wasn't what was on his mind at the moment. Right now he needed to do everything in his power to subdue the deadly creature before them all.

Tenzou didn't bother trapping the thing with wood or spikes or poisons, that would take extra chakra to hold up, and he knew he didn't have a drop to waste, not when six tails were out instead of the usually difficult four.

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Hinata's head felt like a bomb had just went off inside of it, and the only other sensation was a warm tingling... Someone was healing her. She could hear voices as her eyes opened carefully against the bright sun. Three faces appeared before her vision when she could see again. The first was a licking Akamaru who whined occasionally. The second was a suddenly happy Kiba who got just bold enough to kiss her cheek. The third was an exhausted Sakura, still working on repairing Hinata's skull from a crack caused by her forceful fall.

"Is it over?" Hinata asked, speaking just loud enough to be above a whisper.

Both human faces fell again, telling her all she needed to know. Their expressions tightened quickly when an unnatural roar sounded not all that far away. It wasn't something Hinata was familiar with herself, and by the looks of things Kiba was horrified. Sakura, however, only steeled herself further.

"Kiba," Sakura addressed the man hovering over Hinata, "If you decide to fight, don't get in Naruto's way. His chakra is poison right now. It won't heal as easily as if one of the Hyuuga attacked you, and you know that is tough to handle."

"How much worse are we talking?" Kiba asked, face blanking like that of any true shinobi.

"It nearly killed me once with only a scratch to the arm," Sakura replied.

Kiba nodded then looked back down at Hinata. "You are staying right here. Neji and you didn't take this into account."

"But it's still possible!" Hinata sat up, shoving away Sakura's hands. "We have to try."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, surprised the woman before her was already so physically strong despite her earlier injuries.

"Where is Neji?" Hinata asked no one in particular before activating her kekke genkai and searching for herself. "Damn it he's still too far away. I'm doing this myself, I guess."

"No, Hinata, just look, there's someone already on it!" Kiba grabbed her arm before she could pull herself to her feet.

"It's Yamato-san," Sakura added, recognizing the crop of brown hair automatically. "He's brought Naruto back several times already. He can do it again."

Hinata focused her gaze on the ANBU mentioned, checking his chakra levels and techniques. "Not this time, Sakura-san. He's too weak. Kiba let me go!"

"Kiba what is she talking about?" Sakura demanded, adding her own grip to Hinata's other arm for further restraint.

Kiba and Hinata shared a look that Sakura couldn't read properly before Hinata answered instead of the fang marked boy.

"I can strengthen the seal with my family's techniques," Hinata said, turning to Sakura. "The branch family is kept in line by my father through the use of a similar kind of seal to stop them from taking controle of the whole clan. Neji and I trained with each other, he attacking me and I forcing the seal on him to stop his ability to use chakra, to even physically attack me. It's worked so far. If I go and help that man...Yamato...I think it will work."

"I understand," Sakura nodded. "Kiba, let her go, but we'll have to be ready to protect Naruto as soon as the Kyuubi's down. He won't be able to protect himself for a while. I know first hand."

Kiba gritted his teeth and looked knowingly towards Akamaru. Things would get dangerous for all four of them now. Slowly, he did as he was told.

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Naruto knew automatically when Tenzou connected with the necklace Tsunade had given him. He could feel the other man's chakra pulling him back out of the cage against the Kyuubi's will. The two different chakras were literally in a tug of war over him now. Tenzou fought to bring him back to himself. Kyuubi fought for even more freedom. For several minutes, the agonizing tug and pull back and forth went on, the Kyuubi winning with less effort than the human.

Another sensation added itself just as the call from Tenzou began to waver. It was unfamiliar and strong, pulling in the same direction as Tenzou, but from a very different location. The second person changed tactics without notice then. They seemed to sense Naruto's pain and focussed instead of shoving to Kyuubi's paws apart and away from Naruto's inner world, forcing the liquid-like cage to become less water and more like butter through which Tenzou could then slip Naruto through. A bright blue light sprang from the seal on the cage doors, darkening the letters and repairing the paper, filling in the cracks on the bars themselves.

Blackness enveloped him then.

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"Damn it, brat! Wake up already!"

Something sharp stung Naruto's cheek. Vaguely he realised he had been slapped, and Tsunade was cursing at him for his laziness.

"He's at his weakest right now, shisho!" Sakura's plead cut in.

"And so it Pein! They've found him and his help is being distracted right now. This is our chance to take out the last of his false bodies if the brat ever gets off his ass!"

Naruto groaned and forced himself to sit up. He'd heard all he needed to. While the women still argued, he made two more shadow clones. "Shut up guys. I'm on it."

"Good!" both hot heads replied in unison.

Tsunade left the teens alone. Sakura would no doubt be recovering her own strength as Naruto focussed on doing whatever the hell it was Jiraiya used to do. Tsunade, though, couldn't let herself rest yet. She could end up dead by sunset with the way she kept pushing herself, but that didn't much matter to her anymore. Someone was being held captive by his own ANBU faction at the moment, and she had every intention of ringing him a new one. Her son was practically dead because the older man refused to help protect the village.

"How much longer do you plan to keep me like this Tsunade-_hime_?" Danzo spat at her.

"Until I can lay out all your treasonous acts before what remains of our people and kill you myself, of course," Tsunade snarled in return. "Do you have any idea what is happening out there? What is really going on? Or do you pride yourself on trying to take me out by letting everyone else die around you?"

"Still mad that I attacked that damn Tenzou kid? He was getting in the way of my plan, bitch. Surely you know that!"

"I ordered him to do that, and for your information 'that Tenzou kid' happens to be _my_ Tenzou kid. You just made it personal when you attacked him like that."

"Tsunade-sama!" a young nurse sprinted towards them, brunet hair flying wildly behind her since it was loose from the usual braid. "I just saw Naruto, Sakura, and those other two and that dog take off again. Is it really safe for them to do so?"

"About as safe as it was before hand, I guess, Yashu," Tsunade sighed. "They probably moved too soon, but it's better than too late in this case. Yashu, get back to Tenzou and do what you can for him."

"Nee-san? What happened to him?" Yashu's face paled.

"You haven't heard about your cousin?" Danzo broke in with a laugh. "And you try to tell me I'm unable to keep in touch with things, Tsunade."

The blond woman didn't give a second thought to spinning around and decking the older man, crushing his nose without the aid of chakra. "Fuck you!"

ああああああああああああああああああ

The stench of their blood and sweat covered clothes did little to keep the pair from holding one another tightly on the now quieted battle field. Hinata shook as she wrapped her arms around Naruto, scared and relieved all at the same time. Naruto wasn't much more stable than her, and the moment his arms enveloped her they both fell to their knees, unable to hold themselves or each other up due to exhaustion.

Both pushed aside the many questions filling their minds to just hold on to a warm, breathing body and know that they were alive, that they had survived and weren't alone. There was at least that one other person left. That was all that mattered.

"Get your hands off of my daughter!" a man growled from behind Naruto just before he found himself hauled back out of Hinata's arms by the hair.

"What the hell?" Naruto yelped, struggling to stand up and lessen the pain.

"Tou-san, please don't hurt him!" Hinata jumped to her feet, only to be sharply pulled back by her little sister. If she hadn't been so tired and weak, Hinata would have been able to stay on her feet, but her sister was the stronger this time and Hinata found herself flat on her back yet again.

"You fucking monster! You have no business trying to take my daughter away like that!" Hiashi cursed in Naruto's ear.

"Hyuuga Hiashi, you let Naruto go this instant!" another man shouted, gripping Naruto's wrist possessively.

Naruto dreaded the very physical tug of war repeat that was bound to happen this time, especially since there was a Kunai to his throat this round.

"Take your hands off of Naruto-kun, Hiashi," the familiar voice spoke more evenly...more deadly.

"Back off Umino!" Hiashi replied. "This boy is the reason Hinata was nearly killed several times today. I will not let him have her heart, too! He won't take that away as well. I'm going to make sure of it."

"He didn't hurt Hinata," Iruka replied. "Pein did. The same Pein that took every other life here today. The fight is over, Hiashi, and we've both lost loved ones. Don't you dare take one more from me! Don't you dare!"

"He isn't a human being, Umino-san, so stop kidding yourself that he has such feelings to return to you!" Hiashi replied.

Naruto's eyes lifted to meet Iruka's. He understood what he saw there. Memories of Mizuki.

"I've heard that before," Iruka sighed. "Naruto and I have both heard that before."

"Then you know it's the truth," Hiashi answered.

"No," Iruka replied. "They are different beings all together. The fox is the fox, and Naruto is Naruto. He's just unlucky enough to have to have it inside of him all the time. Naruto is a human, with human emotions. You're the idiot for not seeing that. Now let him go, or I will force you to."

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto questioned. Not one time had he ever heard such a blatant threat come from his teacher's lips. "What are you doing?"

"You don't have the guts to try, and you're smart enough to know I'm stronger than you are, Umino-san," Hiashi answered before Iruka could speak. "If you attack me, I'll kill both the demon and you!"

"Yeah, Mizuki tried that, too," Iruka grinned, the look on his face chilling Naruto to the bone. "I didn't have to fight too much then. Naruto saved me from having to, you see. It's time I returned the favor."

Iruka's hands were a blur to both Hiashi's and Naruto's sight. The kunai within Hiashi's hand turned into a serpent that quickly bit the hand that held it too tightly, causing Hiashi to let it go in shock. The kunai fell the the ground, no snake in sight. Next thing was a fist in Hiashi's face, cracking his jaw out of place and knocking out a couple of teeth, his hold on Naruto's hair broken.

Though Naruto's rear hit the ground again, Iruka kept up on the barrage of fists and feet pounding away at Hiashi, never enough to cause more than a dislocation or easily fixed break, but more than enough to keep the Hyuuga off balance and in pain. Hiashi got in one lucky strike, one just enough to put some distance between himself and the Chunin teacher.

Iruka stopped all movement now. There was no need to go any farther. He'd done what he planned. Naruto was out of harm's way, and Hiashi was thoroughly shocked and busted up.

He completely ignored the fact that Hanabi was charging him, Hinata hot on her heels to try and stop the younger Hyuuga.

"There's a reason I remain a Chunin, Hyuuga-san," Iruka stepped out of the way of the kunai Hanabi thrust at his back. "It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm not capable of more, and everything to do with the fact that Kakashi had so much pull with the last three Hokage. He wanted me out of the front lines and went behind my back over and over to keep me from getting into the tests one way or another. We had our arguments about it, but I always knew it was because he loved me. But Kakashi isn't here to stop me this time. He can't stop me any longer, and you should know that I haven't forgotten our fights in our own academy days. He can't save you anymore from me.

"You hurt Naruto one more time, and I will kill you." Iruka put out an arm to stop Hinata from tackling her baby sister, effectively keeping himself between her and the more prideful and ignorant members of the Hyuuga main house. "As far as things go with Hinata, she is still the heiress, is she not? As far as anyone else sees it besides young Hanabi here, Hinata could overrule any of your decisions if she ever chose to. Anyone who knows how strong she really is can see that."

Others had caught up now, and a circle formed around the quarrelling men, enraged girls, and confused boy. One of them pushed her way through the crowd, followed closely by a young nurse and another Hyuuga--Yashu and Neji.

"What the hell is going on this time, you two?" Tsunade demanded, barely strong enough to stand up on her own two feet now as Neji and Yashu supported her carefully. "I thought you two quit this idiocy years ago!"

"Iruka-sensei's just protecting me, baa-chan," Naruto spoke up, fearing for his old teacher now. "It's only been words. Don't get too mad!"

Tsunade's eyes were disappointed as they passed over Iruka, then suspicious as they passed over Hiashi. "We can't afford to be fighting amongst ourselves right now, Hiashi, Iruka. I know what this is about, most likely, but there are more important things at hand."

Tsunade's knees started to give out a second time, and the two supporters quickly responded.

"I am ordering you to back the hell off of each other this instant and take stock of what is left and what is lost like everyone else. We need to know what we have left to work with once everyone who can be healed is healed. We're too weak to stand up to another random group coming to kill us off, and there is news of Uchiha Sasuke heading this way with others wearing Akatsuki marks."

ああああああああああああああああああ

"The clan will be passed on to Hanabi."

Naruto stilled, hand partway up to open the tent flap. He hadn't expected anyone to follow him this far away from the main camp where he had chosen to stay in order to avoid any more arguments over his part in the destruction of Konoha. He didn't want to see that look on Iruka's face again. He didn't want to be reminded of how many had died because he hadn't gotten there in time to save them. He certainly hadn't been expecting Hinata to break away from her family a second time to seek him out.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," Naruto dropped his hand, still not turning to face her. "If it is because of me, I want to know if there is something I can do to change that, but I doubt it."

"Naruto, its been two years since that fight and you're still avoiding everyone!" Hinata spoke the obvious like it was a scar on both their cheeks. "And still he hates you... I chose to leave them, Naruto. I can't stand to be with them any more if that is the way they continue to think."

Naruto turned around and let her come to him, pulling her into a comforting hug as quickly as she would allow it. At least that had been his intention. Instead, he saw that she and Neji were both there and carrying all of Hinata's things. "What's going on?"

"She cast herself out of the clan, much to Hiashi-sama's anger," Neji informed. "He wanted her to stay, so I came along to make sure things don't get out of hand again."

"What about you, though, Neji?" Naruto asked, worried for his one other ally in the Hyuuga clan.

"Both Hinata and Hiashi asked me to come and make sure he had reason to stay back this time."

Hinata spoke again. "He still remembers what Iruka-sensei told him, and he's still trying to pretend that he isn't scared. You're the only one outside of the clan to know about the status change, and that's how we all want it."

"So you've made up with him some, then?" Naruto asked, hopeful that at least Hinata could have some peace with her father if he himself could not.

Hinata nodded.

"Good."

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Three months passed after Neji finally decided it was time to return to his uncle's side, and that only happened because Naruto's mostly destroyed home was stable enough again to be lived in once more. Of course, civillian housing was top priority, and the fact that the plan was to build things right over their old foundations meant that it would take even longer. Most of the clan compounds were barely shaken since they actually lay outside of the main walls as an addition to the village durring the Nidaime's time. Naruto's place, though, was more towards the middle of the village, meaning there was a lot more work to be done on it than the bulk of the surviving shinobi's places.

Few noticed the fact that there were more things being brought into Naruto's residence than should have needed replacing, and fewer still got close enough to see that many of them bore the Hyuuga clan mark somewhere on them. Those few were the ten or so people helping out when they could to aid the re-move-in process. Most of those people took it as an apology from Hiashi or something of that sort, but only five people knew the whole truth of the matter.

"Will you be alright?" Naruto asked one evening once all but the last of Hinata's clothing and such had been brought over and arranged somewhat.

"Hmm?" Hinata asked, not knowing to what he was referring.

"Are you going to be alright staying here like this?" he asked, not really sure he knew how to handle living with another person despite the fact that they'd shared a tent for three months and a year already.

"It's what I want, Naruto," Hinata nodded, having lost all shyness around him barely six months prior when he walked in on her changing one evening and that bout of embarrassment was shown to be on more than her side. "And as long as you'll have me around, I'll stay."

"I don't ever want you to leave, Hinata-koibito," Naruto tightened his embrace on her where they lay on the sofa, he on his back and she atop him on her stomach. "I just wanted to be sure you were sure about this."

"I meant every word two years ago, Naruto-koi," Hinata pressed a kiss to his neck, the easiest spot to reach without disturbing their current position. "Watashi wa Naruto ga ai suru desu wa ne." (translation notes: I as for Naruto subject affection do is feminine softener ending. A looser version would be "I only love you, Naruto," or "My affections are for you, Naruto." It can also mean she is making love to him, but that's not the way she means it. Koibito means lover as well as boyfriend/girlfriend. Koi alone means love in this case.)

Naruto's heart rate jumped about ten beats faster as his breath caught in his chest. Every time she said that to him, he was surprised and overjoyed. It meant so much more than Tsunade's kisses to his forehead and Sakura's willingness to run to his side and save him when he couldn't save himself in the field after the fight with Orochimaru. It meant more than how much he had once loved Sasuke as a brother and Iruka as a kind of father. It meant more than all of that put together. It literally brought a heat into his chest that wanted to come out and bring her into that warmth with him.

"Mary me, Hinata..." he whispered into her hair, barely realising what he himself was proposing. "Let everyone know we love each other, the whole village, the whole country... the whole world. I want them all to know."

"What?" Hinata asked, unsure if he had really just said that to her or not. "Do you mean that?"

"Ore wa Hinata-koi ga ai suru da." he replied. (Translation Note: this one's slightly different, but has the same meaning as Hinata's earlier statement. However, his intentions are different as you will see.)

"Hai, Naruto-koibito," Hinata smiled nervously. "I don't care if my father wants it kept quiet or not. I want everyone to know I love you, too."

Naruto's grin was quickly covered up when Hinata pressed her lips to his happily. The kiss was full of glee at first, but soon turned tender as Naruto's hand made it's way into her hair, the other sitting them both up. Instead of letting things settle there, however, Hinata took controle again and turned the whole thing into something deeper, more needy. She had kissed him like this before, but for different reasons things barely got any farther. This time, though, Naruto couldn't stop himself.

Pulling away for air, he made one more suggestion to her, "Ai shimashō ka?" (Last Translation Note for a while: Naruto is suggesting they have sex. Ai=love. Shimashō= the "will do" version of suru. By changing suru to shimashō he is saying "let's do love" rather than "do love" and has changed the context from affection to sexual contact. Ka is a simple way to turn things into questions when the inflection is correct.)

Hinata stilled in Naruto's embrace, taken back by his boldness. First he asks her to come out into complete openness about their relationship and actually mary him, and now he asked her for this? Sure she knew of many others that didn't commit to marriage--or even think about it--before falling into bed with their loved ones. Of course there were many of their friends that slept with one another without any romantic feelings at all for one another, but that didn't change the fact that Hinata was a bit nervous about this.

Yes, she loved him. Yes, she trusted him to never bring her harm. No, neither of them had ever let it get that far before. No, she was not a virgin, but only two people outside of the man she'd killed for touching her like that knew about it. One was her father whom had helped her escape. The other was the medic that aborted the fetus upon being ordered to do it and shut up about it afterwards. Hinata hadn't even told Naruto yet, and she never wanted to put that on his shoulders. However, he suggested it so tenderly, so cautiously that she knew he thought he might be her first and end up bringing her even that much physical pain. What would happen when he found out through mear touch that she was not what he thought? Would he be angry? The thought frightened her even though she knew that no matter how upset he would be about finding out like this she would still be safe from his wrath. Just disappointing him would be enough to crush her heart. And as for the act itself... the thoughts of having anyone inside of her again was almost terrifying.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Naruto's large, deeply caring eyes brought her back to the present where she was now sitting as far away as possible from him without leaving the sofa. "Hey, what's wrong? I'm not saying we have to! You know I won't make you! Don't you?"

Hinata let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and looked down, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Naruto. It's just... I'm scared."

"Oh..." Naruto let out a breath of his own as a small, understanding smile shown on his face. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, so am I."

"What?" Hinata's head snapped up.

"I've never done it before, so, yeah," Naruto answered, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I mean, I've never really done more than... well you get the idea... So, don't worry, right? We're both new at it, so we'll be extra careful!"

"I... um..." Hinata blushed. Here she was thinking he was only worried that he would be her first when she should have been worried about his fears of her being his first. He thought they were on completely even ground. He had no idea what really held her back, and she had no idea that it could be her teaching him rather than him hurting her because he didn't know how to handle her or would handle her too roughly. "It's not like that, Naruto."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto pulled his legs back to give her some space. If she was nervous about whatever she was about to say, he knew giving her back her personal space was the best way to help her feel more comfortable and confident. "You thought I was with someone else before?"

"Well, that, too, but...Naruto-kun...I..." Hinata took a moment to calm her breathing and pull her index fingers appart. It was the first time in years that old habit had cropped up in Naruto's presence and she hated that it had now. "I was pregnant once."

Naruto's eyes bulged with the shock. Was she serious? If she was pregnant one time, then that meant she'd had sex with someone at least once, right? That's what Sakura had told him several years before when he questioned if it was possible to get a baby on the very first time.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Hinata stood up and found her shoes. "I will leave you alone for a while so you can think about this if you want."

Naruto jumped to his feet and latched a hand around her wrist, stopping her from slipping on even one shoe. "Don't leave, Hinata."

She looked back up at him, confused. Hadn't she just admitted that someone else had had her before him? Shouldn't he be fuming mad? After all, she had made it no secret to him that she had loved him since they were at school. If someone else had taken her, wouldn't he think it was because of infidelity at first? Isn't that what most men thought?

"Naruto?"

"Did he hurt you?" Naruto demanded, voice still soft, but his hand shaking.

"Yes, and my father and I both killed him for it," she replied, willing to be open with him about this. He needed to know, she realised. He needed to know everything, and she would tell him if he asked.

Pain radiated in his eyes, his lips parted and trying to form words as the shaking started to go through more than just his hands. Hinata dropped her shoe back in the box and pulled him into her arms, confused at the turn of events and unable to do anything about it. What was going through his mind this time? If she knew, she might be able to help him.

"Naruto, talk to me," Hinata begged softly. "You're scaring me, koibito."

Apparently, that was the wrong choice of words, for his trembling weakened his knees and brought him to the floor, taking her with him.

"Naruto!" Hinata's voice became shrill in fear. "Oh, Kami! Do you need me to get Sakura-san? A blanket? What? Tell me what to do, Naruto..."

"You... he hurt you that badly..." Naruto spoke into his hands. "Does it really hurt a woman that much? Would I just hurt you more? Hinata, I'm so sorry I ever suggested that we..."

Hinata didn't know where it came from, but she started laughing. So this was what it was all about? She had frightened him into thinking that he would hurt her every time? The thought was so absurd all she could do was hold him tighter and laugh harder as the seconds passed while he grew more and more confused.

"Oh, Naruto, I love you so much, you knucklehead," Hinata giggled into his blond mop of hair. "I know you could never hurt me. Don't you know I trust you? It only hurt so much that time because I didn't want him _and_ it was my first time, _and_ he was rough. I know you wouldn't be too rough, and _I know_ that I'd want you enough. I just didn't want you mad at me for not being my first!"

"What? Really?" Naruto looked up hopefully. "So then... You're not scared of me or anything?"

Hinata sobered up substantially. "No, Naruto, I am nervous about it, believe me. I have bad memories about the only other time someone has touched me like that, but he isn't you, and I realise that."

"Oh, thank Kami-sama," Naruto pulled her back into a hug, this one decidedly more friendly and casual.

"Let's just go to bed," Hinata suggested. "We have an early morning anyway, so we might as well go to bed equally early."

"Alright," he nodded, allowing her to pull him up off the floor and wrap and arm around him until they fell into the bed with their day clothes still on, content to just share one another's warmth for the time being.

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"Hey Hinata, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working on the neighbor's place again this morning?" Sakura smiled from her place at the foot of Tenzou's bed in triage, treating him for a broken ancle where a timber had fallen towards Yashu. The man had pushed his younger cousin out of the way, but wasn't quick enough to catch the wood before nails and all crashed down on his own body. Yashu, small as she was, supported the man all the way to the make-shift hospital, maybe even saving him just as easily as he had saved her seeing as the rust and foreign blood already on the nails had gotten into his blood stream. If either of them had decided he would be fine and treated him there, he could have died of infection or worse after a few weeks.

"Naruto is taking care of that himself," Hinata said, thinking about the small army of kage bushin Naruto had created before setting to work with Shikamaru and Shikaku to help out his neighbor, Tahata. "I needed to talk to you for a while when you have a chance, if that's possible."

"Sure, I'm almost done here," She said, giving Tenzou's bandaged leg a light pat that none the less brought a new grimace to the man's face. Stepping away, Sakura issued a few last commands. "Keep it wrapped up durring the day, but not when you sleep for the next month if possible. Stay off it, too. Yashu-kun and Iruka-sensei are both staying with you right now, aren't they?"

"Yashu-chan is already looking for Iruka to help me get home," Tenzou replied. "She figured I'd need it."

"Good," Sakura nodded. "Still, it is kinda funny... Here you are, mister Mokuton master and yet you're put out of commission by a falling timber."

"Knock it off already, Sakura," Tenzou grumbled. "Not even Yashu is this mean to me. It's bad enough Kaa-san will rub it in for at least a week once it gets around to her ears... which should be soon considering you're required to tell her. Aren't you?"

"That's right, I am..." Sakura grinned evilly. Ever since finding out that her team captain also happened to be her mentor's biological son, Sakura had made good use of the knowledge. Even if the mother-son pair didn't often admit to being related for personal reasons she still didn't know, Sakura found that she got away with a whole lot more when playing them against one another. "It can wait until after Hinata and I have our chat, though. Yashu can sign you out when she gets back."

"Damn it, Sakura, don't make me wait here for them!" Tenzou started to complain, but Sakura stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her to re-greet Hinata. "So, where would you like to go?"

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"I guess what I'm really trying to ask is if you would stand with me instead of my sister," Hinata finished, taking another bite of dumplings to signal the end of her little speech.

"So you really don't expect any support from your family?" Sakura asked, saddened.

"Well, no, but Neji will come, and so will my team and Kurenai-sensei."

"Not even your father," Sakura huffed. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint, Hinata, but Naruto already asked me to be on his side as his sister. So I'm already tied in there."

Hinata smiled, "I'm thankful you'll be there, then."

"You know I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Sakura returned her smile. "You're the best thing to happen to one of my boys ever!"

Hinata knew how Sakura meant it when she called Naruto one of "her boys" and smiled wider. "But now who am I going to get for a sister, then? I've got Kurenai-sense for mother, Neji-kun as brother, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru coming in as brothers, too... I want another girl with my side!"

"Doesn't little Mitasu count?" Sakura offered, mentioning Kurenai's daughter.

"I want someone more our age, I mean," Hinata conceded. "Someone to shove me out there if I get nervous again or something!"

Sakura snapped her fingers, triumph shining in her eyes. "I know exactly what to do! Leave it to me, Hinata-chan! I'll have you a woman pushy enough in no time!"

Hinata almost feared what Sakura might have up her sleeve this time. Then again, Sakura had never done her wrong yet. She would trust the pinkett.

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"You, in here now and don't come out until I say you can! And keep quiet whatever you do!" Ino shoved Hinata into a small powder room barely bigger than a closet.

"But what--?" Hinata started, but the door was snapped shut firmly in her face.

Now that was odd. Sakura had promised her that Ino would help her get her wits about her and actually go through with the ceremony, not shove her in a tiny room and tell her to shut up. This was her wedding, damn it! what was going on in the main room that the blond woman didn't want her to see?

She barely had time to finish that thought before a second person was shoved into the little room with her yelling at the shover, "Ow! Damn it, Sakura! What the hell is going on out there?"

"Just shut up, Naruto, before they hear you!" Sakura's voice whispered harshly. "Hey, Pig! You get Hinata yet?"

Neither of the trapped pair could hear the answer, but Hinata grumbled loud enough for Sakura to hear, "I'm right here."

She inadvertently startled Naruto, he not having seen her in the tight, darkened space pressed against the wall behind him.

"SHH!" Ino and Sakura both hissed and re-shut the door.

The soon to be married couple mutually agreed to be quiet as they were told, but to also press their ears to the cracks of the door to try and hear what they could. There was some shouting on Kurenai's part about getting Iruka tied down if he didn't behave. Soon after it sounded like someone was making good on that order. It sounded like Kurenai herself was the one doing it, and that could only mean the now screaming Mitasu was in Shikamaru's hands, the excitement causing the five-year-old to demand an explanation for why her mother was attacking her friend. Akamaru was barking at the girl, but only Kiba and the other animals that somehow managed to become present could understand he meant for her to hush. A shout of "Damn it Pakkun you're supposed to help me not laugh at me!" was heard, meaning that Iruka had gotten off the summoning jutsu quick enough to summon what was once Kakashi's loyal dogs before being tied down.

"You take one more step into this room, Hyuuga Hiashi, and I will personally remove you from it!" Tsunade's voice boomed over the others.

Well, that explained everything right there. It just fit that the man whom had agreed that Hinata would be safe with Naruto would come in to break up the wedding for some selfish reason or other.

"Hokage-sama, I respect your position and your views about Uzumaki Naruto, but I am head of my own little village known as the Hyuuga Clan as I am sure you know. I will not have Uzumaki Naruto joining my clan. This wedding is off."

"You answer me this, Hiashi," Tsunade's voice grew more patient, as if she were forcing herself to do so. "Have there been any go-betweens coming to your home for wedding negotiations? Has Naruto himself come to your house to visit Hinata and taken any of your 'hospitality' the past two years?"

Silence answered for him.

"Then it should be obvious that Naruto has no intentions of joining the Hyuuga family!" Tsunade shrieked at him. "It's Hinata that wants to join his family, and I'm the top bitch of that family as well as around all of Konoha, so you can get the fuck out of this hotel and let those two marry in peace!"

"I will contribute no further financial aid to my daughter then, seeing as she as decided to leave my family. I no longer have any responsibilities concerning her. However, since I know that she can most likely hear me, know this. _Any_ child from her womb that carries _my_ kekke genkai will be trained by my family, and will be my family and _not_ Uzumaki's. And it will be of the lowest house, not close enough to mine to taint more pure blooded Hyuuga like Naruto has done with Hinata and Neji. I will not have the Byakuugan leaving my clan to freely mix with common people."

"We'll see about that!" Naruto growled under his breath, holding himself back from bursting out of the little room Sakura had shoved him in in favor of keeping Hinata's hiding place sacred.

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"I'm sorry about my father today," Hinata hung her head, glad to be free of all the tight wedding Kimono she had changed over and over durring the celebration, almost as happy to finally have her hair free from the several head dresses that kept her scalp taut from early in the morning to now very late at night. "I never thought he would go so far as to say such things right infront of everyone."

"He won't have everything his way, koibito, I promise you," Naruto replied, rubbing at her neck and shoulders to ease the kinks from the muscles there. "If you ever decide you want to have a child with me and it has the Byakuugan, I will not let him do as he pleases and brand our baby. Our baby will be our baby, not his slave!"

"I know," Hinata leaned back into her husband's arms. "Most of the village will back us up on that. If we have a child with the Byakuugan, I will be the one to teach it how to use my bloodline correctly. I or Neji. And it will grow up under your wings, not under my father's claws!"

"That's my Hinata-koi," Naruto kissed her forehead lightly, rubbing her arms before pulling her into a crushing hug.

"Naruto...?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we can do it? Do you think we could really have a child and keep it safe from him?"

"I know we could," Naruto pressed his cheek to the top of her head, "because it's us. You can stand up to anything to protect what you love, and I will always stand up to protect you. Between us, any child will be safe from everything that could possibly come at it."

"Konoha needs more shinobi as quickly as possible, too," Hinata said after a few moments.

"So that's what this is all about," Naruto pulled away with a sigh and shook his head. "Someone's pressuring you to have a kid right away in the name of supporting the village, aren't they?"

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"But why?" Naruto asked, not understanding.

Hinata turned to face him so that he could understand her every emotion as she explained, "Remember when several large groups of kunoichi were taken into the Hokage tower at different times?"

Naruto nodded once. It had cut into one of their dates when she was taken.

"The elders... the whole council spoke to every kunoichi of child bearing age as well as those with girls old enough that weren't kunoichi. They told us that we had one year in which to start rebuilding our numbers. Those of us successful would be given a pay increase as well as paid maternity leave. Those of us who tried but could not would keep our normal pay. Those of us who refused would receive less pay or reduced missions, and the missions we would get would be D missions for two years.

"Naruto we both need what money I'm bringing in on my own right now, and they have a valid point. Konoha's numbers are very low, and the sooner we can rebuild our military standing the sooner we can protect ourselves again."

Naruto flopped down onto his pillow and ran his hands over his face... "Damn it..."

"I know," Hinata agreed, curling up at his side with a disapproving grumble of her own. "We're not ready, but they've even given that ultimatum to people six years younger than us. It's disgusting, but it's true."

"No wonder why Baa-chan has been in such an extra pissy mood lately," he replied. "She must be pushing Yashu and Sakura to do the same, and you know how Sakura is... still pining for the bastard."

Hinata didn't answer, instead she just buried her face into his chest, dampening his night shirt with the bit of water still left there from washing off her wedding make-up.

"I bet they don't even care if you all are married to the fathers or not, do they?"

"Of course some of them do, but personal feelings are always set aside for things like this so... no," Hinata replied. "It's also part of why my father wants to take any of my children, no matter who the father is. Our clan took a huge hit just like the Aburame and Akimichi did, worse even than the Inuzaka."

"Well, look at it this way, we've got them beat on a few points, right?" Naruto asked, running a hand through her damp hair. "We are married, and for love no less! We have a roof over our heads and an extra bedroom waiting to be filled. We actually have the means to provide for a baby, unlike many others that might only have a one room apartment. Any child we have will be looked after, loved, and hopefully happy."

"We also have a year to start if we want the extra pay, so there's really no rush," Hinata added playfully. "Plenty of time to have fun together before then."

Naruto made a low sound in his throat and turned them both over, trapping her between himself and the futon, "Yes, you're right..."

ああああああああああああああああああ

"So?"

"So what?" Naruto asked, leaned up against one of the few trees Sakura still hadn't demolished on the training ground.

"Has Hinata been bothering you lately?"

Naruto shot the other man a strange look. "What are you talking about?"

"Sex life seem to get a bit more interesting these past couple months?"

"Since when is my sex life any of your damn business, Kiba?"

"Since you married my teammate who also happens to be ordered to have a kid inside her by the end of next month, that's when."

"Damn it," Naruto hung his head. "Honestly I haven't been home much lately... When I am, Hinata's usually busy. We haven't had the time to go at it."

"Better get on the ball then, or the council will have her in a very tight spot. You, too from what I'm hearing."

"You and I both know it's a bit more complicated than that in our situation."

"Every relationship has its complications."

"Who are you to talk? Haven't you been getting some practically every night from Yashu?"

"Actually no, she's giving up. Besides that, I got a very interesting booty call from Sakura last night."

"Sakura?" Naruto asked, not believing a word of it. "How'd that happen?"

"She just demanded I henge into Sasuke and she'd fuck me all night if I did."

"Did you?"

"Hell no!"

"Smart man."

"You know even Hanabi is pregnant right now, right?"

"Where'd you hear that?"

"From Neji. He wanted me to get the news back to Hinata somehow. I've seen as little of her as you lately, though."

"She's gonna be pissed."

"Hinata?"

"No. Baa-chan."

"Why?"

"She wanted me and Hinata to get one before Hanabi did so that we could royally screw over Hiashi."

Kiba busted out laughing then. "Makes sense. Sometimes I wonder what kind of a past Hokage-sama has with Hyuuga-sama considering the way they fight over you two almost as bad as Ino and Sakura used to fight over Sasuke."

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Naruto figured it would be another night alone when he came home that night, exhausted from a second round of training that evening with Hinata's teammates rather than his own clones for a change. What he found was something very different, though. There were a string of notes everywhere he looked, and it was all in Hinata's handwriting. First was just above the door handle, his own name. Next came one on the other side of the door when he went to lock it, it read "come."

The counter where he set his house key had another, saying "to."

"The." and "Bedroom." followed next on the refrigerator handle and then on the milk carton inside. Taking his nightly sip straight from the carton, he decided to obey. There on the closed door he found one more instruction, in full this time rather than in pieces. "Take your clothes off and come in."

He understood her meaning automatically, this was her trying to soften up the obligatory intercourse into something more their own style rather than the fucking the council practically demanded. Still, he did as she told him and slowly opened up the door. The room was bathed in soft candle light from the many tea lights around the room obviously newly bought, but mostly burnt down. She had been waiting for several minutes, it seemed. Long enough for her to also fall asleep, he noticed. She lay on her stomach on his side of the bed as if to lay on his chest like she often did when they had a night together. The bed was unmade in nearly the same manner as he had left it the morning before, and Hinata had just decided it was good enough as it was.

The view was of all soft, milky legs leading up to a perfect ass from his point of view, but he knew that beneath her mane of black hair lay a tender expanse of strong back, slender neck, toned arms, and a peaceful face. Her lips were most likely parted, letting the smallest little bit of drool pool on his pillow. He wished that pillow was his own chest right now, though, her warm breath tickling the fine hairs of his chest.

Naruto closed the door a little harder than need be, just hard enough to get her awake.

"Mmph?" Hinata stirred. "Naruto, is that you?"

"It's me, koi," he replied, stretching out on her side of the bed and pulling her to his body gently. Her hips fit right into his comfortably as he had expected.

"Mm. I'm sorry I wasn't awake when you got in," she muttered.

"Long day?"

"Yeah."

"Me, too. Shino had me pinned down pretty good, then Akamaru went and actually let one rip right in my face. Can you believe that? Kiba's friggin' dog farted right at me on purpose!"

Hinata giggled, her laughter rubbing their bodies together in a way Naruto appreciated very much. "He's only ever that mean to you!"

"It's not fair," Naruto grumbled, pouting slightly.

"Well don't let it get you too down," Hinata rolled over in his arms, "because I'm awake now."

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_A/N: Yeah, this isn't like me, but I just had to say it right now. If this were written in Japanese, saying "shinobi's places" would have been so much easier to swallow for the spelling and grammar check. It simply would have been something more along like "uchira no shinobi"/"shinobi no uchira" translating roughly to; "homes 's/of/belonging to shinobi"/"shinobi 's homes." (The first one in Japanese would be more correct for the situation, though) Anyway, I am starting to hate English grammar more and more as I learn other languages and their systems, and "shinobi's places" just rubbed me wrong but I couldn't think up any other way to put it and make it sound natural to English speakers like myself. Blah!_

_Also, I am teaching myself Japanese through books and listening to shows and songs in Japanese to help pronunciation. This is definitely going to spill out into my writing some, and I am sorry if that makes it harder for you, but I will try to limit it and provide translations each time a full sentence takes place. Endings like -san, -chan, -kun, and -sama, I'm sure you're already familiar with, and even -hime to Tsunade's name. When I use other enders, I'll provide an explanation the first time or two it comes along such as the koibito and koi provided earlier after the "I love you" translation note._

_Also, notice that even though koi can mean love/affection the very act of love used here is not from the root of koi like their endearments are. I used ai suru or "love do" similar to the mark on Gaara's face of Ai meaning love with the attached suru which means do the action associated with the previous noun. So, Hinata is saying two things in one here, which leads up to the lemon. She meant it as "I love you," however Naruto took into account the suru addition which can turn the statement around to say something more like "I do love to Naruto." So he took it as meaning she wanted to have sex. Good thing she was willing, right?_

_As far as Hiashi's comment about not wanting to accept Naruto into his family goes: Originally in Japanese weddings the man would come to be a part of the woman's family, not the other way around, and he would even live with them. Hiashi is making it clear he does not want Naruto as a part of the Hyuuga clan and by extension being with his daughter. However, there was also a period in which the man and woman both lived back and forth between families because both families were seen as one whole family/clan with the marriage of the two individuals. Hiashi is protesting it completely not because he doesn't agree that his daughter is in love with Naruto, but that he himself does not want to be associated with Naruto as family._

_Wow, sorry if you weren't wanting the Japanese lessons here, but at least I saved it for the end so you could just skip it over right? After all, everything needed to be known for translations were provided right there in the story. This is just the extras for more understanding. So, don't mind my rant, alright? Please? I'll make you stir fry if you don't yell at me! Or bake some chicken over rice and add a little soy or ginger or wasabi if you want? Yeah, I'm in a sushi mood now damn it._

_Oh, and one random lol. I wrote logs instead of dogs twice. How that happened, I have no idea._


	2. Chapter 2

Well, looks like the last chapter hasn't changed any of my hypotheses as of yet. Hinata is still alive, Sakura is running to her, and Tenzou knows there are six tails and is rushing back to try and stop further power from escaping. WOOT! Hinata still has a chance!

Also, here's where the story earns it's mature rating. Lemon abounding from the start of this half. The gentle relationship they had before has matured along with them, and this kind of thing is no longer a source of much concern between them because of that and the fact that they are now married and trying for a baby as Hinata was ordered to do so by the council along with most other Kunoichi.

No rebound sex as was originally promised, though. That's not really as important as Tsuyomi is.

Ha ha, part-way through typing this up, I realised that last time I posted, I had Kakashi dead. Then I also remembered that in "Long Return" he is alive. So I will just have to remember to add an explanation in "Long Return" somewhere. Sorry about the mix-up!

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Naruto smelled the gentle scent of lilac oil in Hinata's hair. It was her favorite scent to use for the hot oil treatments she was even starting to get him to use now and then. He had to admit they felt wonderful, but he didn't really like going around smelling like lilacs unless it was because she was wearing lilac perfume and hugged him afterwards. Briefly he wondered if she added a bit of one of the hair oils to the candles to intensify the scent, or if she had just used it right before going into the bedroom and the scent permeated the air because she came in so quickly and shut the room up.

Either way, he smelled the lilacs which were always associated with her in his mind. More importantly, however, he could smell her right there in his arms as she kissed his lips slowly and lovingly, pressing her naked body to his and stroking his side with her short, yet sharp nails so lightly that goosebumps popped up everywhere they trailed.

His own hand came up to cup one of her breasts just as the kiss turned more hungry, stroking at her nipple lightly and pinching the bud. Honestly, he didn't enjoy the feel of having his nipples pinched that much, and he couldn't understand how doing the same to Hinata could make her moan so deliciously. Either way, he loved having the soft pillowy flesh rubbing against his chest, and he loved the smiles and moans even more. He made it a point to draw out a few good ones with his lips, teeth, and tongue every time they made love.

That didn't mean she always gave him the chance, though.

No, Hinata took charge once in a while, intent on hearing him moan more than herself at those times. Seeing him loose himself to the sensations, struggling not to loose all controle while she ran her nails or teeth along the underside of his cock, feeling his hands tighten around her thighs as he finally succumbed to being ridden ruthlessly, all of these things turned her on just as much as him exploring her body like a playground of sweet treats.

Tonight, it seemed, would be one of the nights Hinata took full controle, and Naruto didn't mind.

The change in dominance was slow in manifesting itself. At first, Naruto had her trapped up in his one arm, the other hand tugging at her nipple as his lips devoured hers. Yes, Hinata had started to make little noises in the back of her throat with each tug, but Naruto could tell they were purposefully held back, even as he let his whole hand open up to softly kneed her entire breast. Hinata loved the feel of his hands splayed out open on her skin, especially over her breasts or stomach, still more, she loved to do the same to him, to be reminded of his physical strength. He had used those muscles under her hands now to lift her up like a feather over and over again since they started sharing living space three years prior. He had never harmed her with those hands, but had always offered a warm place of safety within those arms and pressed against his chest. She loved knowing that those muscles which were trained and toned to kill were more likely to open up in love and kindness than anything else.

Naruto felt her press against his chest lightly as her leg came up over his hip. They stayed like that for a while, lips the only things left moving against one another until Hinata decided the time to strike had come. It was always her choice when things progressed in the bedroom between them, never his. He never wanted her to feel like she was expected to do anything for him, or that he would press forward on anything she didn't want. That had been the case from the very first time he had ever suggested they lay together like this. She had admitted her memories of a previous moment that had left her hurting both physically and emotionally. He wanted nothing to do with that.

Since the very first time that she had actually allowed him to have her, Hinata had yet to turn him away once they reached this point, a tangle of limbs and locked lips. He had no reason to fear being left unsatisfied.

Naruto didn't quite realise when it happened, but Hinata was straddling his waist now, he flat on his back and unable to resist the delicious feeling of her mouth lavishing attention just behind his earlobe where his jaw ended. That was his magical spot, the one place that all she had to do was suggest contact with and he got hard in his pants. Why such a point could ever be used against him like this, he couldn't understand, just as he couldn't understand her love of having her nipples pinched and sucked on. Still, his cock twitched as a deep, longing moan found its way out of his lips.

Hinata knew exactly what she was doing to her lover, her husband, her very reason for living...

She had positioned herself just over his stomach so that her breasts pushed into his pecks and she could reach that gentle spot behind Naruto's ear. Hinata also knew it would cause him frustrations the moment his dick hardened fully, since it wouldn't quite reach it's intended destination despite the fact that her legs were parted around his body. As long as she kept up her controle of his body with her mouth, he wouldn't be able to find the strength in his legs to buck up, either. The thought of just how easily the man so many feared could be taken down gave her great inner strength when around him that she had been caught many times smirking devilishly in public lately when thinking about it and forgetting her settings. One time, Sakura had even brought her in for a quick check up, thinking that Hinata had a fever instead of a mind full of dirty thoughts about Naruto and just how to seduce him that particular night.

Such situations were always embarrassing for her, but not tonight, not here where her actions were welcomed, sometimes even begged for without her prey even knowing the words were falling from his lips like a mantra. Here she didn't have to censor any thought, for here she could act out every whim, her audience becoming her rather willing target in the blink of an eye.

Hinata stroked Naruto's sides the same as she had earlier, knowing that now he wouldn't be tickled by the feeling any longer. His body trembled beneath hers along with a shuddering breath when her lips trailed down from behind his ear to suckle at his throat and under his chin, her body arching to achieve the position while keeping her opening just that scant distance from the tip of his penis.

"Ungh... Hinata-koi..." Naruto took his hands from her hair, placing one on her breast again, and the other on her hip, trying to pull her back down again. Hinata refused his little plea.

"Not yet, Naruto-koi," Hinata purred. "You know I've only just begun."

_K_NOCK! KNOCK_!_ KNOCK_!_

"Ignore it," Hinata said softly when Naruto reacted to the sharp taping on the front door. "If it's important, there are better ways of getting attention."

"Hai..." Naruto caressed Hinata's arms gently, only to then find his hands trapped above his head by one of hers, the other aggressively running sharp, short nails down his stomach, trailing the line between muscles, following soft, fine hairs to their goal at the base of his penis where slender fingers wrapped around his cock just tightly enough to hurt slightly.

Hinata knew Naruto liked things a bit rougher than she did, and she indulged him when she could with a tight, rough handjob like this. Her nails scraped the tender underside of his shaft as her hand drug up and down his length, her pearl eyes watching his ocean ones as they changed from surprise at being trapped to bliss at being stroked in just that certain manner he craved when they were together.

Carefully, she increased the speed.

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! knockknockknock!_

Naruto growled at the second intrusion. A muffled feminine voice came with the tapping this time, demanding Naruto open the door because she knew he was home.

"Whoever the _fuck_ that is is going to get an eyeful and a fistful for this," Naruto growled with irritation, gently pushing Hinata away for the moment to get to the bedroom door, throw on his boxers and sprint to the front door, jerk it open and demand, "WHAT?"

Sakura stood frozen on the other side of the door, hand raised to rap at the door once more, eyes wide and confused.

"I'm busy, Sakura-chan," Naruto grumbled. "It better be good."

"Oh..." Sakura looked anywhere but at Naruto now, seeing the nip marks on his throat and smelling the sweat on his body. She just knew he probably had a monster of a hard-on in his shorts, but she refused to let curiosity get the better of her and force her eyes downward. For as much as she knew the man trusted her with his life and his body, she had never trusted him not to be embarrassed about something like that.

"Well?" Naruto demanded, really not in the mood to see anyone besides Hinata at the moment.

"I just... I just wanted to tell you that... Our mission in two days isn't going to happen. Kakashi-sensei came back pretty beat up, and Yamato-san is in rough shape, too."

"And this couldn't wait for the morning because...?"

"They caught sight of Sasuke," Sakura said in a whisper. "He was running after someone else, though. They think he's turned against what's left of Akatsuki from the looks of things."

"We can talk about this tomorrow, Sakura-chan," Naruto laid a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. "Hinata is waiting for me, and this really doesn't change much considering he's still not willing to talk to any of us."

"But that's the thing, Naruto!" Sakura's eyes fell back on his, pleading. "He tried to protect Kakashi-sensei from a couple attacks before taking off again! Circumstances are what must have kept him away, even Yamato-san agrees! They're sending you, Sai, and I out by midnight tonight to the last place he was seen!"

"Seriously?" Naruto asked, not believing it. There had been other times Sasuke had been spotted, but they had been forbidden to chase after him. Apparently this interpretation of Sasuke's battle in which Kakashi and Tenzou had come upon was enough to change matters that much.

"YES!" Sakura's smile nearly blinded him.

"Damn teme..." Naruto chuckled a little. "Has to ruin everything, doesn't he?"

"Well, um..." Sakura became nervous again, very unlike her usual self. "You've still got three hours before we have to meet at the bridge... that should be enough time to take care of things, yes?"

The door was promptly slammed in Sakura's face. Naruto would celebrate tonight with Hinata for the next two hours, maybe even some more in the shower before pulling himself away to pack before leaving.

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One month. One whole month was wasted. Other than the very charred area in which both Sasuke and Kakashi had used fire and electricity to fight with, there were no signs of the Uchiha's presence that Naruto, Sakura, or Sai could pick up.

"Naruto-kun," Sai smirked over at the blond as they steadily made their way towards Konoha's entrance.

"Hm?" Naruto asked the dark haired man, jerked out of his thoughts sharply.

"Someone's running our way, and I believe they're coming just for you."

"Sai's right... Hey, it's Hinata!" Sakura waved happily at the woman coming to meet them.

Someone else was running behind her, and gaining ground fast... Neji by the looks of things. He was yelling at her to not exert herself so much, though why was a mystery to the three returning home. Hinata was barely jogging in their direction from the looks of things. Naruto, though, didn't care how fast she was coming to meet him, he sprinted to her to make it as soon as humanly possible.

"They...they can't do this to us, can they?" Hinata sobbed into Naruto's shoulder, clinging to him tightly.

"Hey, slow down," Naruto ran his fingers through her hair, the other hand rubbing her back soothingly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"They want to kill the baby!" Hinata cried, balling up her fists against his chest.

"Whose baby?" Naruto asked, unsure of what she was talking about. The only person Hinata was close to and was currently pregnant that he could think of was Hanabi. "Your sister's baby?"

Hinata just began crying harder and shaking her head back and forth in the negative. "_Our_ baby, Naruto. Word got back to my father the moment it was confirmed. Because Hanabi is due in six months, they want to force me to have an abortion! They think our baby is a threat to Hanabi's baby! They can't do this! They cant!"

Naruto stilled. That wasn't a lot of information to process, but both bits weighed very heavy on his mind and heart. Now he understood what hat Hinata shaking in his arms. She was pregnant, for at least a month now since that was how long it had been since they had been together last. Her father also wanted to stop her pregnancy for some strange fear that it would harm Hanabi's status or something like that.

"Please don't do that again, Hinata-sama," Neji caught up to them now, panting lightly. "If you get that worked up emotionally, then exert yourself physically, you could make your father's wish true without any medical help. Remember what Yashu-san said last week!"

"What did she say?" Naruto asked, holding Hinata close while he adressed Neji.

"Hyuuga develop differently in the first two months from most others," Neji explained. "Our chakra balance is more delicate, yet more prominent durring this time. We all know how our emotions can affect our use of chakra, even unconsciously. If Hinata unwillingly allows her emotions to produce a killing chakra, even if it does not fully form into a jutsu or other technique, it could kill the child more easily than if it did not possess Hyuuga blood."

"Oh, damn," Naruto's eyes squeezed shut, holding Hinata even tighter than before. "At least she's not mad right now."

"She was earlier," Neji replied lowly, then raised his head to acknowledge Sai and Sakura joining the three of them.

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ああああああああああああああああああ

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Birds chirped happily overhead, the chicks finally able to fully use their wings and giving them a grand workout to show off their newfound tallent. The few clouds in the sky did little to hinder the sun's light as it shined on the small clearing, giving the blue expanse more character than marring the golden ball of fire. Although the day was hot, a light breeze blew steadily enough to keep the pair there from getting too warm for finding comfort in snuggling up on their picknick blanket for an after-lunch nap. Three others were in the clearing-proper instead of under the shady trees like their companions. These three happily tossed a plastic lid from one of the containers of food devoured minutes earlier as if it were a Frisbee. With the difference in shape, things didn't work out quite that well, but it made for a good laugh and many-a-dog-pile.

Sakura shoved a lock of hair behind her ear as Tenten and Ino spread back out to their respective areas to see which way Sakura's throw would end up going this time. She didn't have time to toss the lid, however. Something had happened to her right where Naruto and Hinata had been laying and watching the three women play.

Naruto was up on his feet, dodging shurikin without anything of his own to return to the unseen attacker. Anything that would have hit Hinata, though, he managed to deflect with a kunai that he had caught in the air from the attacker. But it wasn't the kunai that truly had Sakura worried. It was the senbon mixed in with them. Those were much harder to deflect when they could barely be seen flying straight through the air at their target.

One glance over to the other girls and Sakura understood the plan. Ino and Tenten would circle around while Sakura was to get Hinata out of the way and then protect her from a safer distance. Hinata wouldn't be happy about having to sit this one out when there was nothing medically or physically wrong with her, but that baby had to be protected at all costs. It was bad enough it's own grandfather was still trying to push the right buttons politically to get the baby killed, Hinata didn't need a direct attack to do the job.

"Why the hell won't you give up?" Naruto demanded as soon as he saw that Sakura had come to his aid, then darted into the direction of the attacker.

Feminine laughter greeted his ears. "Sasuke-kun lied about your strength. You're a bit better than he described!"

"Idiot," Naruto laughed to himself at the woman's stupidity. He turned at the projected location of the woman and saw a streak of red hair fly passed one tree and up into the next. Blond and brunet followed, but those two he knew to be allies without a doubt.

"Naruto, get back over here!" he heard Sakura yell from a ways behind him. "I can't hold him back alone, damn it!"

"Shit!" Naruto turned on heel and ran back to Sakura and Hinata, seeing a white haired man coming at Sakura with a large sword not all that different from the one he briefly recalled Zabuza of Mist using about eight or nine years ago. All Sakura had at her disposal to defend with, however, was the plastic lid she'd been playing around with earlier. That certainly wouldn't hold up against that sword, and Sakura had been forbidden to break up any more ground in the area just in case it drew even more unfriendly attention their way. Naruto bent and picked up as many projectiles as he could carry on the way, tossing several in Sakura's direction handle first for her to catch. The rest he shot straight at the man with the sword to distract him.

"Karin, I can't hold both of them off, damn it!" the swordsman hollered to the woman currently evading both Tenten and Ino.

The redhead in the trees blinked out of existence just as Ino had a clear shot with her body replacement technique and Tenten drew out a few throwing knives. The clone was gone. Where then, exactly, was the real one that had created then switched places with said clone? Which one was she after, Naruto or Hinata?

In the end, it didn't matter much, though. The swordsman had both Sakura and Naruto caught up in battle. Even though Ino and Tenten both caught sight of the redhead sliding up behind Hinata and pinning her to the ground, neither of them were fast enough to make it in time as the redhead snapped Hinata's neck before yelling at the swordsman to get the hell out of there... that the job was finished.

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ああああああああああああああああああ

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"We've sent three teams in pursuit with Ino and Tenten to make correct identifications," Yashu spoke to Naruto, but he acted as if she wasn't even there.

His eyes were fixed on the door to the room where Sakura and Hinata had been for hours, allowing no one besides Tsunade and Yashu inside.

"There is one thing Hinata had requested the last time I was in the room, Naruto-san," Yashu tried again.

"Yes?" Naruto looked up, wanting--needing to know.

"If we cannot stop it..."

"It's too late," Tsunade exited the closed off room, head hung. "Sakura had already done it."

"Done what?" Naruto demanded, rising to his feet quickly.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Tsunade replied softly, not bothering to show any false anger at the young man. "Hinata is gone. She was jarred too much."

Naruto fell to his knees, jaw slack and eyes wide. "No. No, she has to be alright..."

"Her body's respiration and heartbeat are being sustained for now, though," Tsunade continued. "There isn't much time and we need your decision on what to do with the child. Sakura is offering to take it if you want."

"Take?" Naruto looked up at her, bewildered.

"Transfer it from Hinata's womb into her own," Tsunade replied. "It's risky, but there is a possibility that it can survive if she does so."

"But Hinata--"

"Is dead, Naruto, and we don't have much time left to save your child if you don't tell us yes very soon!" Tsunade replied a bit more heatedly.

"Hinata..." Naruto looked back at the floor again, unable to process that the very woman responsible for his ability to keep going three years prior was gone from his life forever.

"Naruto, please!" Yashu started in now. "I was going to tell you that it was what Hinata had requested if it were possible. She wanted you to give Sakura-san permission!"

He was still again for several seconds before slowly nodding. "Save the baby."

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Sakura let out a string of curses as the child inside of her decided that eleven at night was a good time to start kicking her organs all at once. It was one thing to have the boy's hand push against her skin, or even his sharp little nails do the same as he tried to reach outside of his cradle of flesh and blood, but this was pure torture. Every day now he had been squirming at the most inopportune moments, even causing her to toss up lunch all over Ino the day before when he kicked her stomach repeatedly. Needless to say it wasn't a sight Inoichi could stomach himself. The man had to excuse himself from the room lest he too loose his lunch right there at the table. For a man who had been an active shinobi for over thirty years, he sure had a weak stomach, Sakura thought.

"Settle down, you," Sakura grumbled, rubbing her swollen belly on the lower portion where the baby's head would be by now. She hoped it would be enough to calm the child, but it didn't always work. Sometimes she actually needed to pull out a cd player and some headphones to lull the child to sleep with instrumentals or nature sounds like birds chirping or a rainstorm.

Tonight wasn't one of those nights, thankfully. With the reassuring voice of the woman the child resided in, the boy settled down as instructed.

"You're a little powerhouse just like your father, baby boy," Sakura couldn't help but smile a bit. "Your mother would have been proud."

Sakura drifted off to sleep some minutes later. However, only four hours passed before she woke up again.

Something was off. She couldn't really put her finger on it, though. Anxiety seemed to simmer just underneath the confusion she felt, driving her to stand up and look around the room, pushing her to check the baby's room to make sure everything was in order, her emergency bag by the front door, even double checking that the milk was in the door of the fridge rather than on one of the main shelves like Naruto liked to leave it now and then durring one of his daily visits to check in on her. Everything seemed to be in order, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen very soon and she would have to be awake and fully alert while it came about. The child wasn't moving much any longer, but she could tell he was physically just fine with a quick check.

Perhaps something was wrong with Naruto? The boy within her seemed to have a very strong connection to him despite not even seeing Naruto's face yet. If the boy was upset enough to affect Sakura's moods, that usually meant something was up with Naruto. Settled on that possibility by 3:34 am, Sakura picked up the phone and hit the speed dial for the blond's house.

"Mmh? Wha'z go'n on?" Naruto's groggy voice said on the other end.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Sakura asked, concerned more that her theory had been busted right off the bat.

"Me? I'm alright. What's wrong, Sakura?" Naruto asked, more alert now that he recognised the voice.

"Your son's very anxious about something, and I can't figure out what it could be," Sakura answered honestly. "I thought he was picking up on you again."

"No, nothing on my end," she could almost hear Naruto shaking his head.

"Damn!" Sakura cursed into the phone then, another sharp pain in her abdomen.

"He's squirming around again, huh?" Naruto correctly guessed.

"He was earlier," Sakura panted, "but this was different. Oh, no.... Naruto get over here. My water just broke!"

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It had been imperative to keep the truth of Sakura's pregnancy secret from the moment the child was taken from Hinata's body nearly ten months prior to this day. Only the three medics and Naruto truly knew about it. Sakura even had to lie to her other friends and the rest of the team, claiming that she had gotten pregnant while out of Konoha on a solitary mission and had taken the opportunity to try again with someone else. Had word spread of the truth, though, there would be a lot more hell to go through with the Hyuuga leader and council.

Now, though, holding his son gently and carefully as Yashu had instructed, he knew time was limited to the amount it took for a Hyuuga to see the baby and report back to Hiashi. Of all of Hinata's large family, only Neji was invited the morning Sakura went into labor. They both felt he should know, especially since he wouldn't rat them out. Still, he wouldn't have to, someone else would certainly do it for him soon enough, Naruto thought.

Bright blond hair crowned the boy's head in a fuzzy mass, a strong jaw, delicate nose, and unique pair of eyes made up his face. Yes, his eyes were blue, but they were also a very, very pale blue, to the point that the blue only showed up as long as the light hit them a certain way. Rather than the slightly grey tint most Hyuuga tended to have when any color at all was shown, the boy had his father's blue tint, proving even more that the father was certainly NOT a Hyuuga like it's biological mother.

"You were strong to survive before," Naruto told his son, even though the baby couldn't understand the words yet, "but you're going to have to be so much stronger now that you've come out into the world's eyes..."

The boy's eyes closed slowly as he fell back asleep, finally understanding that he was safe here in this man's arms. Naruto took a shaky breath and sat back down in the chair by Sakura's exhausted form. He was at a total loss once more. Yes, Sakura had promised to fill in as a mother for the boy. Yes, he had many friends that would help keep the child from Hiashi's grasp. No, he didn't know how to do this when every time he looked at the blond boy he would see Hinata's nose, mouth, and eyes staring back at him.

"Be strong like your mother...Uzumaki Tsuyomi. Do you hear me? Make her proud of you, Tsuyomi."


End file.
